Event planning was interrupted by the pandemic but as a new member of the board, Andrew Hill said he volunteered to take over as coordinator.
“We are excited to bring it back,” said Hill, adding that the program ties in really well with Purple Hills Arts and Heritage Society’s mission to keep local history alive.
The itinerary for the free event includes a presentation by a former one-room school teacher, in addition to the sharing of stories and memories by locals who taught and attended area schools, and a self-led driving tour of six area schoolhouses located in the Purple Hills surrounding Creemore. A map will be supplied at the event with stops at School Section (SS) #15 Madills School; SS#16 Glen Huron School; SS#12 Cloverlea School; SS#2 Bayview School; SS#8 Cashtown School; and SS#14 Avening School. The loop is expected to take about 30 minutes.
The buildings served many additional purposes in rural communities such as venues for concerts, social activities, meetings and polling stations.
Most of the one-room schoolhouses closed in 1960s when students were sent to centralized schools, like the one in Creemore, and the buildings were sold off with most being converted into private residences.
“The foundations of our educational system were laid firmly within the walls of the little one-roomed rural schools like ours,” writes Helen (Hargrave) Blackburn in Has the Bell Rung Yet? (1979), a history of local schools. “It is our fervent hope that future generations will build wisely and well upon these foundations.”
Before being bussed to the central school, some students walked long distances to schools, many built in the mid- to late-1800s, with wood heat, well water stored in pails, and outhouses, which would be upgraded in some cases to oil heat, indoor toilets and running water.
“In early days modern heating devices were not thought of,” writes Blackburn of Bayview School. “A big box stove stood in the middle of the school room and which had a huge block of wood. It was kept tended all day by the pupils but through the night the fire went out. By morning the school was desperately cold. A floor furnace was installed in 1921 but this proved unsatisfactory so the old box stove came into service again until 1953 when a modern oil stove was purchased for the school. Hydro was installed in 1949.”
In Avening, writes Blackburn, “There were sometimes as many as 80 pupils and they tried using two teachers in one room. A smaller room was added but was used for only 15 years. Teachers Elliott; Madill, and McArthur taught here when enrolment was up to 80 pupils, some up to 25 years of age. Local girls with a minimum of preparation undertook teaching of primary classes.”
The event will feature guest speaker Linda Hutsell-Manning on Learning and Teaching in a One-Room Schoolhouse. Hutsell-Manning is the author of Fearless and Determined, Two Years Teaching in a One-Room School, a creative memoir about her time at SS#2 The Front Road West School in between Cobourg and Port Hope, where she taught Grades 1-8 from 1963-1965.
Tea and History will be held on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Station on the Green in Creemore, beginning at 1:30 p.m. People are encouraged to bring photos to share.
A digital copy of Has The Bell Rung Yet? is posted in the digital heritage library at phahs.ca, where membership information can also be found.